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    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Published: Nov 11, 2018 · Modified: Jun 21, 2022 by Melanie McDonald · This post contains affiliate links · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 94 Comments

    Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce (with no nuts!)

    4.91 from 111 votes
    JUMP TO RECIPE WATCH VIDEO
    A silky smooth, lusciously creamy, Vegan Cheese Sauce that is nut free, gluten free and really low in fat. Whip it up in minutes in your blender!

    A silky smooth, lusciously creamy, Vegan Cheese Sauce that is nut-free, gluten-free, low in fat, high in protein and can be whipped up in your blender in minutes! It's one of my favourite super quick dinners. Toss it through freshly cooked pasta and serve alongside some veggies or a salad. Dinner done fast!

    Vegan Cheese Sauce in a small stainless steel pan

    This super easy Vegan Cheese Sauce is a gamechanger. It's seriously good and like my Cauliflower Alfredo, it's nut-free, gluten-free and really low in fat.

    In this post:

    Jump to:
    • How to make vegan cheese sauce
    • Nutritional yeast
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Recipe
    • Reviews & Questions

    There aren't many nut-free vegan cheese sauce recipes around. Cashews tend to be used on repeat for creamy sauces in the vegan world, like in my cashew cheese sauce recipe, and although they make a really tasty, glossy, yummy sauce that I love, hey, sometimes there are times when you could use a recipe without them.

    Maybe you have guests with allergies, maybe you don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a bag of nuts (cashews aren't exactly cheap!), or maybe you are trying to be good after eating your way through an entire cookbook for the past 5 or 6 months!

    vegan cheese sauce being poured from a jug onto pasta

    Whatever the reason you want a nut-free vegan cheese sauce, I've got you covered, because this recipe is just perfect for any of the above occasions.

    It's a super simple Vegan Cheese Sauce, made in seconds, and it's luscious, smooth and creamy and can be used in any recipe where you want a thick, creamy, cheesy sauce. And did I mention it's got no nuts, no gluten and no fat in it? I did but I feel the need to repeat myself.

    a bowl of vegan cheese sauce covered pasta

    Because it's made from silken or soft tofu, it is super, super velvety and smooth. So much more so than a nut-based sauce and it tastes lighter.

    How to make vegan cheese sauce

    This simple, Vegan Cheese Sauce couldn't be easier to make.

    Here's what you need:

    Ingredients for vegan cheese sauce

    And here's how it's done:

    1. Put all of the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and blend. (That is incidentally actually another good thing about this recipe. Because everything in it is super soft, you don't need a fancy pants high powered blender to make it super smooth. Any blender or food processor should be able to take care of it).
    2. Warm it gently through in a pan on the stovetop or use in any recipe calling for cheese sauce.

    That's it. It's the easiest sauce ever!

    Nutritional yeast

    Please be sure to use a good tasting nutritional yeast for this recipe. All nutritional yeasts are not created equally. Some brands taste a lot better than others.

    I personally do not like Bob's Red Mill nutritional yeast, even though I love all of their other products. I do not recommend you use it in this recipe as you won't get the intended cheesy flavour. It's ok used in small amounts but in a recipe where you use a lot like this it will make a big difference to the overall result.

    My personal favourite is Hoosier Farms and an added bonus is it's super cheap too. It comes in a massive tub that lasts ages. I get mine from Amazon.

    Vegan cheese sauce covered pasta twisted around a fork in a bowl

    Serving Suggestions

    The possibilities are endless though. I'm thinking:

    • easy pasta dinners
    • as a dip
    • cauliflower cheese
    • mac and cheese
    • lasagna
    • pasta bakes
    • cheesy soups
    • loaded nachos

    You get the idea.

    If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!

    Recipe

    easy vegan cheese sauce

    Easy Vegan Cheese Sauce (no nuts!)

    Author: Melanie McDonald
    4.91 from 111 votes
    A silky smooth, lusciously creamy, Vegan Cheese Sauce that is nut-free, gluten-free, low in fat, high in protein and can be whipped up in your blender in minutes! It's one of my favourite super quick dinners. Toss it through freshly cooked pasta and serve alongside some veggies or a salad. Dinner done fast!
    PRINT PIN SAVE Saved!
    PREP TIME: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time 5 minutes minutes
    Servings 450 mls

    Ingredients
      

    • 12 oz (340 grams) silken or soft tofu
    • ½ cup (35 grams) nutritional yeast , make sure it's a good tasting one
    • 1½ teaspoon onion powder
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika , or chipotle powder
    • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
    • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup (120 mls) unsweetened milk of choice , soy or cashew milk gives the best result tastewise
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. 
    • Warm the sauce through gently in a pan on the stove top before serving. 

    NOTES

    Unused sauce will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. 
    Every single ingredient in this recipe plays a part in giving the best flavour possible, so I do not recommend omitting any of them or subbing them. 
    Please see my notes in the post above the recipe about the brand of nutritional yeast I recommend to make this recipe. They are not all created equally!

    NUTRITION

    Serving: 112ml serving (about ¼ of entire recipe) | Calories: 98kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.9g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 2g | Sodium: 410mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1.6mg
    Did you make this recipe?Rate it & leave feedback in the comments section below. I love seeing your remakes too. Tag @avirtualvegan on Instagram! 🌟

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    22.6K shares

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Tasha says

      August 07, 2023 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      So easy and delicious !

      Reply
    2. Carolyn says

      July 31, 2023 at 3:30 am

      5 stars
      I made this (I ALWAYS keep extra-firm silken tofu on hand). It turned out perfectly. More so, because I also added roasted red-peppers, really kicked up the flavor. Thank you so much!!

      Reply
    3. Donna says

      July 05, 2023 at 3:48 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this, it's going to be so helpful on my plant-based adventure.

      Reply
    4. Caroline says

      June 17, 2023 at 11:55 am

      Question: Can you use the shelf style tofu (Mori-nu) or should you use a silken tofu in water tub style?

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        June 17, 2023 at 3:10 pm

        I always use the shelf stable Mori-nu style silken tofu. I've never seen silken tofu packed in water.

        Reply
    5. Alocasia says

      June 05, 2023 at 9:43 pm

      5 stars
      This came out perfect with the ACV. I love getting away from the cashew cheeses for a change. We'll definitely be making this often.

      Reply
    6. Alocasia says

      June 05, 2023 at 12:20 pm

      I'd like to try this today. I understand you don't recommend subbing, but white wine vinegar is the only vinegar I don't have. I have red wine, apple cider, white balsamic, plain, balsamic, sherry, rice....any of these doable for a substitute or am I going shopping? :)

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        June 05, 2023 at 2:32 pm

        Apple cider will be the best sub. Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply
    7. Tracy says

      May 07, 2023 at 8:01 pm

      5 stars
      This was great! I've tried so many other vegan cheese sauce recipes which always turn out ok but have lots of other steps involved. I love how quickly and easily this one comes together! Even hubby, who is not a fan of tofu, thought it was lovely (although I didn't tell him until after he ate it! ;) ) Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        May 08, 2023 at 9:36 am

        So pleased you're enjoying it! My husband won't eat tofu but has been eating this for years. I still haven't told him! 🤣

        Reply
    8. Heather M Quinn says

      March 30, 2023 at 5:52 pm

      I have been wanting to make a yummy casserole. Can I throw raw veggies into the cheese mix then "cook it again" since it's already technically done? I was worried that the cheese might taste a bit burned..

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        March 30, 2023 at 7:47 pm

        I've used it in lasagna and it was fine so should be ok!

        Reply
    9. Glenda Fagan says

      March 26, 2023 at 7:31 am

      5 stars
      After 3+ years of WFPB no oil eating, I have finally found the PERFECT cheese sauce! Why is anyone bothering with potatoes, carrots, squash, oatmeal when tofu is available? My kinda recipe: dump and blend. Made a broccoli rice mushroom casserole with it....all it needed was more cheese sauce! Next time, double batch....Thanks Melanie 💗

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        March 26, 2023 at 12:29 pm

        Love this! So pleased you're enjoying it Glenda!

        Reply
    10. Jodi says

      February 24, 2023 at 11:36 am

      5 stars
      seriously so good and easy to make...I use this recipe at least 4 times a month...no huge amounts of fat from nuts so it's much healthier than most "cheesy" sauces out there!

      Reply
    11. joyce says

      February 03, 2023 at 3:09 am

      hi, what if you leave out the nutritional yeast and vinegar?!
      I have histamine intolerance, so I am looking for substitutes...
      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        February 03, 2023 at 12:45 pm

        I would look for another recipe that doesn't use those ingredients. The nutritional yeast is crucial to this recipe and it would be really tasteless without it. Sorry!
        I don't have anything suitable but Google vegan cheese sauce without nutritional yeast and I'm sure you'll find some.

        Reply
    12. Jenna says

      January 19, 2023 at 3:03 pm

      5 stars
      Hands down the best vegan cheese sauce I’ve tried yet!!!

      Reply
    13. Marcy says

      December 03, 2022 at 2:15 pm

      5 stars
      This was the first recipe I made in my new Vitamix. It took a little adjustment to vegan cheese sauce as I am still evolving into vegan recipes, but it only took a few dips to be fully on board. I soon found myself dipping veggies and corn chips in it. I'm realizing more and more these wonderful recipes are making the conversion to vegan an easy move.

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        December 04, 2022 at 9:13 pm

        That's so good to hear Marcy. Best of luck with your vegan transition!

        Reply
    14. Krista says

      October 19, 2022 at 8:54 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is literal perfection!! Thank you SO MUCH

      Reply
    15. Gail Holm says

      September 27, 2022 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      Just had it on gluten free sea shell macaroni and it was delicious. I used honey dijon mustard since that was all I had and it tasted great.
      Really quick to make as well, stored it in a glass jar in the fridge and when I needed it, I just heated it in the microwave.

      Reply
    16. KJ says

      July 24, 2022 at 1:18 pm

      5 stars
      To be successful when switching from a standard Western diet to a vegan or plant-based diet, you need foundational recipes that can get you through the transition and also sustain you over time. For me, a cheese addict, this cheese sauce is exactly that type of foundational recipe. It is a satisfying substitute that has helped me remain plant-based for over three years now. Mac & cheese, nachos, dips… it is smooth and creamy and tastes like a good quality melted cheese. Thank you for helping me overcome my cheese addiction while continuing to enjoy my favorite foods! I recommend this to everyone, including those who eat cheese — it’s a tasty way to add protein and fiber without the extra calories and saturated fat.

      Reply
      • Melanie McDonald says

        July 25, 2022 at 12:09 pm

        I love this. Thank you!

        Reply
      • Eva Gonzalez says

        August 10, 2022 at 9:50 am

        Do I need to press out all the water, first?

        Reply
        • Melanie McDonald says

          August 10, 2022 at 10:20 am

          Follow the recipe as written. If it needs to be pressed the recipe will always say.

          Reply
    17. Hannah says

      July 08, 2022 at 11:29 pm

      5 stars
      Yum!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

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    Melanie McDonald

    I'm Melanie McDonald (but you can call me Mel), cookbook author and creator of A Virtual Vegan. I share well-tested, flavour-packed vegan recipes with clear, step-by-step instructions. My goal is to give you the confidence to cook amazing vegan comfort food from scratch.

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